Tourists Turned Away as Machu Picchu Limit Reached

Hundreds of unticketed tourists have been turned away from Machu Picchu this week as Peru's famed Inca ruins reached capacity.

Angry tourists blocked a bridge for two hours Monday in the town of Aguas Calientes at the entrance to the ruins. That impeded buses that ferry visitors to the hilltop archaeological site.

Juan Julio Garcia is the regional tourism director in nearby Cuzco. He says some travel agencies have failed to inform visitors that they should get tickets in advance because of the daily load limit of 2,500 people.

Authorities established the limit for Peru's main tourist attraction in 2005 as a conservation measure.

In January, tickets became obtainable online. The site, http://www.machupicchu.gob.pe, can be slow to access.